Balance or weighing scale



July- 6 1926.

. 1,591,802". 0. A. BECKER v I BALANCE OR WEIGHING SCALE Filed July 23, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet -1 C. A. BECKER BALANCE 0R WEIGHING SCALE July 6 1926. 1,591,802

Filed July 25 1924 A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.6.

INVENTOR 1 Wfificn By Attorneys,

5 be more quickly and accurately made.

Patented July 6, 1926.

UNITED} STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER A. BECKER, OE NU'rLEY, NEW JEEsEY, AssIGNO ro THE TORSION BALANCE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

BALANCE on WEIGI-IING soALE.

This invention relates to balances or weighing scales, and particularly to the conventional types of analytical balances which are enclosed in a case to protect themovable parts from dust and disturbance by air currents during the weighing operations, and aims to provide certain improvements there- Such balances are commonly constructed with a balance beam hung at its middle on knife edges and having scale pans or the like living from its ends, one or both ends of the beam being provided with an adjusting nut for adjusting the equilibrium of the balance preliminary to the weighing operations. In making such adjustment the front sash of the enclosing case must usually be raised and lowered several times, which action is time-consuming and not infrequently, owing to the warmth of the hand when handling the beam, introduces a source of error.

According to the present invention means are provided whereby the preliminary adjustment of the equilibrium of a balance can This I accomplish by providing means operable from the exterior of the enclosing case for moving the equilibrium adjusting element of the. balance, which element may be a modified form of the conventional nut at the end of the balance beam. or the improved means hereinafter described and applicable to balances whereinsmall weighings are made by varying the length of the beam component of a uniform chain supported at one end by the beam and at the other end by a vertically-movable slide. An important additional advantage of the latter adjusting means is that it is operable while the beam is in swinging position.

The invention also includes other. features of improvement which will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown two preferred embodiments of my invention,

Figure l is a front elevation of an analytical or jewelers balance;

Fig. 2 is a fractional elevation of a portion of the balance showing the present invention applied thereto;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale;

analytical or jewelers balance which com-' prises I a base A mounted upon leveling screws a, and mounted vertically upon the base is a column 13 upon which a balance beam G is adapted to be supported'throughits middle knife edge 0. The balance beam is provided at its ends with knife edges 0, from which are hung the pans D or any other means adapted to receive weights or objects to be weighed. For normally maintaining the balance beam knife edges out of contact with their supporting elements, and for gradually lowering the knife edges into contact with said elements, there is provided a beam arrest E operable through an eccentric slide (not shown) by a thumb wheel 6, the beam arrest having the usual adjusting screws 0. The column B and the beam arrest E'together constitute the balance stand.

The balance beam is also provided with the I customary pointer F movable over an index plate F to show when the balance comes to poise. The indicator needle carries the adjustable gravity weight 7 for varying the sensitivene'ss of the balance, andthe beam is provided with the conventional adjusting nut 0 for adjusting the equilibrium of the balance. 7

In the balance shown in Figs. 1 to 5 small weighings are accomplished through the medium of a line uniform chain Gr, one end of which is suspended from a carrier H mounted on the beam, and the other end from a hook I carried by a slidable block J movable over a divided scale K. The slidable block is movable through rotation of a vertical screw L operable through intermediate means (not shown) by a thumb wheel M to vary the amount of chain supported by the balance beam. W'here fine and accurate weighings are to be made, the movable parts of the balance are enclosed in a case N, the front sash of which is adapted for sliding movement up and down. In Fig. l the front sash is shown as slightly raised.

The balance thus :tar described is the conventioual (ll ainomatic balance now in general use and described in detail in my prior Patent No. 1,203,686, dated November 7, 191?.

In this and other types of balances. adjustmentof the equilibrium ol the balance is :iCCOIHPlli-EllGCl through the medium 01 the adjusting nut c 'mounted at the end of the balance beam. and in order to malte this adjustment the lront sash oi the enclosing case must usually be raised and lowered several times and not infrequently, owing to the \Vttl'll'li'll ol the hand in handling the beam, a source of error is introduced into the weighing operations. Not, alone this, but considerable time is consumed in making the adjustment in this fashion.

According to the present invention adjustment of the e piilibrium of the balance is made from the exterior ot the enclosing case, with its attendant saving of time and elimination of the source ot error aforementioned. This I accomplish by varying the dead weight (it the chain (it, whereby the beam component of the chain is varied to compensate for any inequality in the arms of the balance beam on each side of the central linite edge. The means tor acconu plishing this consists in supporting the hook I upon a nut non-rotatably mounted with in a guideway termed in the movable slide J, the nut y being threaded upon a swiveled screw 7' supported within the movable slide (l. "the screw j carries a manipulating enter sion 0 formed with a longitudinal slot 0 adapted to receive a screw driver in'ojection 71 formed at the lower end o'l a rotatable slide .rod 1" which pisses through a bushing (IQ, mounted in the top 11, oi the Cllt'l(1l-3lll,i case. The rod P is adapted to be rotated through nninipulat-ion oi the enlargement y) tormed on the outer end thereof. The nut y' being non-rotatable, it will be apparent that upon rotation. oi? the projection the nut will be caused to move upward or downward. depending on the direction of rotation of the screw, and with the movement; of the nut there is a, eta-res naiding raising or lowering of the dead weight component of the chain G to vary its eliective beam eomponent length. The movement of the nut 7', it will be seen, is independent Oil any movement ol" which the movable slide J is capable. illence. when the zero of the vernier carried by the movable slide J is in align ment with the zero on the scale K, the beam component of the chain may be varied independently oi any movement ot the slide J to bring the balance into equilibrium, and this adjustn'ient may he made from the e);- t rior of the enclosing case. It will also be noted that, inasmuch as the elements O and P at all times during the period of adjustment bear a delinite relationship to one another. adjustment ol" the equililn'ium ot the balance may be carried on while the beam. is supported upon its central knife edge or in swingingposition. This manner of adjui-atnient provides an additional saving oi time. Obviously the toregoin'g described adjusting means may be used either independently of, or in conjum'tiou with, the adjusting out ('1 on the l'mlance beam. lrhere both adjusting devices are emplrwed in a single balance the adjusting nut 0" may be used for intrequent ai'iproximate adjustment. and the other means for frequent and extremely fine adiustn'ient.

In the embodiment of the invention illust ated in Figs. 6 to ll, adjustment oi the equililn'ium of the balance is acconmlished by modi'liying the contour of the adjusting nut at the end oi" the balance beam so as to render it susceptible of movement by an engaging pin operable from the exterior oi the enclosing case. This I accomplish by substituting for the conventional thumb ad iusting nut c a star wheel nut R, and providing a slidable rotatable rod S formed at its inner end with an eccentrically-inounted projecting pin 5; adapted to engage between the points of: the star and to rotate the same upon rotation of the rod S. The rod 8 is mounted to slide in a suitable bearing T which passes through and is secured to the side wall. n of the enclosing case. and said rod n .2

c is termed at 1ts outer end with an enlarged manipulating head 8 which may be knurled to provide a better finger grip theretlor. The star wheel, which may be of any preferred construction, is preferably 'lornied with its star points tapered between the bases ol the nut, with its tapered edges "facing the engaging end ot the slide rod S. which is long enough to engage the star wheel when at any position on the beam. When the star wheel is at its innermost position on the beam, the accidental application of a turning torce thereto tending to advance it farther. would throw the beam from its support. and in order to prevent such action there is provided a spring .5' adapted to engage the enlarged head 8 upon inward movement ot the rod 9. to limit such movement to a point short of engagement with the star wheel. Engagement between the star wheel and rod can, then he made by pressing inwardly on the rod to overcome the tension of: the spring. The rod S is normally maintained out of engagement with the star wheel by being outwardly withdrawn from the casing T until a shoulder 1" formed on the rod S engages against a shoulder t formed in the bearing T. To insure against accidental inward movement ol' the slide rod S, and also to avoid accidental engagement therewith when in withdrawn position, the rod S is preferably formed in ,two parts hinged together as shown at U, the outer section being adaptedu-pon withdrawal to take up the position as shown in Fig. 7.

The manner in which the equilibrium adjustment is made on a balance involving the present construction, is thought to be obvious from the foregoing ClESCI'lPtlOll, inasmuch it is substantially the same as that heretofore commonly availed of in bz'ila-uces employing a manually-operable adjusting nut, except that in the present construction rotation of the adjusting nut is accomplished from the exterior of the enclosing case.

VVhile I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my inven-' tion, it will be UIlClOI'StOUd that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention 1. A balance or weighing scale comprising an enclosing case, a stand. a balance beam having adjustment means thereon, means independent of the adjustment means on the balance beam for bringing the balance into equipoise during a weighing operation, and means operable from the exterior of the enclosing case adapted to cooperate with the adjustment means on the balance beam for adjusting the equilibrium of the balance preliminary to the weighing operation, the adjustment means on the balance beam and the means operable from the exterior of the enclosing case being normally out of engagement.

2. A balance or weighing scale comprising an enclosing case, a stand, a balance beam having adjustment means theron, means independent of the adjustment means on the balance beam for bringing the balance into equipoise during a weighing op-' eration, and means operable from the exterior of the enclosing case adapted to cooperate with the adjustment means on the balance beam for adjusting the equilibrium of the balance preliminaryto the weighing operation, said last-named means comprising a rod slidably mounted in a wall of the enclosing case.

3. A balance or weighing scale comprising an enclosing case, a stand, a balance beam having a central knife edge upon which it is adapted to swing, means for bringing the balance into equipoise during the weighing operation, and means operable from the exterior of the enclosing case adapted for adjusting the equilibrium of the balance preliminary to the weighing op eration, said last-named adjustment being adapted to be made while the beam is in swinging motion.

4. A balance or weighing scale comprising a stand, a balance beam, a vertically mov able slide, a weighing chain hung at one end from the beam and at its other from an element which is carried by but is independently movable with respect to the v'ertically-movable slide, means tor moving the vcrtically-movable slide, and separate means for njioving the element independently ot' the slide.

5. A balance or weighing scale comprising a stand, a balance beam. a vertically movable slide, a weighing chain hung at one end from the beam and at the other from the vertically-movable slide, and means for adjusting the equilibrium of the balance by varying the length of the slide cpiciiponent of the chain without moving the s 1 e.

ing a stand, a balace beam, a vertically movable slide, having an independently movable element thereon, a weighing chain hung at one end from the beam and at the other from the independently movable element, and means for adjusting the equilibrium of the balance by varying the position of the movable element with respect to the vertically-movable slide.

7. A balance or weighin scale comprising a stand, a balance beam, a vertically movable slide, a weighing chain hung at one end from the beam and at the other from the vertically-incvable slide and an enclosing case, and means operable from the exterior oi the enclosing case for adjusting the equilibrium of the balance by varying the length of the slide component of the chain without moving the slide.

8. A balance or weighing scale comprising a stand, a balance beam, a vertically movable slide, having a screw threaded member upon which is mounted a non-rotatable nut, a weighing chain hung at one end from the beam and at the other from the nonrotatable nut, an enclosing case, and means operable from the exterior of the case for moving the nut independently of the vertically-movable slide.

9. A balance or weighing scale comprising a stand, a balance beam having an adjusting screw at one end thereof, a nut on said screw, an enclosing case, and manipulating means extending through the side wall of the case and operable from the exterior thereof for turning the nut on the adjusting screw.

10. A balance or weighing scale comprising a stand, a balance beam having an ad justing screw at one end thereof, a nut on said screw, an enclosing case, manipulating means extending through the side wall of the case and operable from the exterior thereof. for turning the nut on the adjusting screw, and means for positively preventing accidental engagement between the manipulating means and the nut.

11. A balance or weighing scale compris- 6. A balance or weighing scale comprising a stand, a balance beam having an adjusting screw at one end thereo't, a star wheel on said screw, an enclosing case, and a slidable rotatable rod having an eccentri- *ally-ni 1 unted pin on the inner end thereof extending through the side wall of the case and operable from the exterior thereol, and adapted to engage between the points of the star wheel to rotate it in either direction.

12. A balance or weighing scale compriu ing a stand, a balance beam having an ad j listing screw at one end thereof and a star wheel on said screw, the star points being tapered from one base of the wheel to the other.

13. A balance or weighing scale comprising a stand, a balance beam having an adjusting screw at one end thereof, a nut on said screw, an enclosing case, manipulating means extending through the side wall of the case and operable from the exterior thereof for turning the nut 0n the adjusting screw, and spring means adapted to normally limit the inward movement ol the manipulating means to a point short ol e.ngageinent with the nut when at the inner end of the adjusting screw, but adapted to permit such engagement when the spring tension is overcome.

A balance or weighing scale comprising a stand, a balance beam, a chain, one end of which is supported by the beam and the other end by a movable clement, and

means lor adjusting the equilibrium of the '6 balance by varying the length oi the beam component or the chain.

in witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

ClilRlS'lOPHER A. BECKER. 

